Filing tray



N. S. WELK FILING TRAY May 7, 1929.

Filed May 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 7, 1929.

N. S. WELK FILING TRAY Filed May 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r andparticularly to that class thereof, per

wardly.

Patented May 7, 1929.

UNiTED STATES PATE 1,712,23 r ovrrcrs'.

NELSON E4. WELK, 01E ATHENS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCI-BEE BINDER 60., F

ATHENS, OHIO, A CORPORATION 011 DIIIO.

FILING TRAY.

Application filed May 8,

My invention relates to the stationery art,

raining to trays for receiving cards, and the like, for filing.

The object of my invention isto provide a tiling tray equipped with alongitudinal side adapted to drop, so as to make the cards more easilyaccessible, and further, to cause said side when so dropped, to assume aposition :i'or functioning as an auxiliary base to receive the cardsdesired tobe pushed, or placed, out oi alinement with the other filedcards.

A further object to provide a stop against which the cards so displacedwill abut, so as to cause all the displaced cards to be in orderly andneat arrangement for quick reference.

accomplish the above objects by a construction, wherein the mechanicalmeans hin gingr the side and controlling its swing also functions as thestop or abutment, as will be apparent from the following" specification,reference beine; had to the accompanying drawings, in which l ig; 1shows a perspective view of my filing tray, the side being dropped toform the aux-i iliary base;

l i e. 2 shows a plan view of the same, and

3 shows a sectional. view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the reference numeral. is used.to indicate the base of my trav. Numerals 11 and 12 indicate the frontand rear sides thereof, rcspectively, and numeral 13, one longitudinalside thereof.

My invention resides in the construction which forms the otherlongitudinal side of my tray, and its manner of operation and itsfunctioning. This side is represented by the numeral 14 and is hinged atits base to the base 10, of the trav, as shown at 15. It is provided onits inner surface with two, or more, triangular shaped brackets 16, eachof which is provided with an elongated slot 1?. Mounted within theseslots is a rod 18, provided with arms 19 and 20, the ends of the rodbeing pivotally mounted to the body of the tray, as shownat 21 and 22.

The construction of the parts is such that as the side 14.swi11gs,itcarries with it the rod 18, which travels in the slots in the brackets,as the side swings either upwardly or down- These slots are arranged intheir brackets, so that when the swingrinn' side has reached a positionon a plane with the base 1926. fierial No. 107,574.

of the tray, the rod abuts against the end oi the slots in the brackets,and thus limits the movement of the swinging side and positions it inproper alinement with the base of the tray. In addition to this, theends of the slots against which the rod abuts, are elevated from theswinging side, so that when the rod positions the swinging side, it alsopositions itsell above the plane oi the side and parallel there with.

I have provided means for locking the swinging side in position, thelocking means consisting of the projecting recessed lugs 28, one oneither side oi? the tray, which receives the recessed ends of the metalstrap 24, the lugs and strap being so formed and arranged that when thestrap drops into the recesses in the lugs and locks the side, the saidside will be in proper position to form the longitudinal side for thetray.

In order to provide for a slight upward and downward movement oi theswinging side when it is at its upper limit of movement so as to'permitthemetal strap to be elevated somewhat so that it may drop into therecesses in the lugs, to lock the side, I have provided hinging' meansfor the side 14:, with a slight play which is brought about by providingelongated slots in each end of the tray into which the male members ofthe hinging means extend. It is obvious, this will permit a slightupward and downward movement of the male member of the hinge, within thefemale member.

In practical operation, the cards being filed in the tray, it it isdesired by the operator to displace some of the said cards forreference, the swinging; side is dropped to its downwa d position. Therod 18 positioned above the lowered side and parallel with the said sideand also the other longitudinal side of the tray, forms a stop or anabutment against which the displaced cards abut and are therebypositioned. hen the cardshave either been placed back in the tile orremoved, the

swinging side is elevated and locked in its normal position,therebyforming one Of the longitudinal sides oil: the tray.

I am aware that there are several filing);

tra s on the market rovided with dro a nine l A r"! sides, and also withabutn'lent means for displaced cards. However, I am not aware that sucha structure as I have invented and herein disclosed. comprising meansfor dropping a side, combined with means for forming an abutment fordisplaced cards, has heretofore been used or disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. A filing tray provided with a base and sides, one longitudinal sidebeing hinged to the base; means to position the swinging side in asubstantially horizontal plane when open, said means also comprising anabut- .ment stop for displaced cards; and means to lock the swingingside in closed postion to the tray.

2. filing tray comprising a base and sides,

NELSON S. WELK.

